Investment Objective/Strategy -The EquityCompass Risk Manager ETF is an actively managed exchange-traded fund. The Fund's investment objective is to provide long term capital appreciation with capital preservation as a secondary objective. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will seek to achieve its investment objectives by investing in equity securities of U.S. companies. During periods when the U.S. equity market is determined to be unfavorable by the Fund's sub-advisor, Choice Financial Partners, Inc. d/b/a EquityCompass Strategies, the Fund may invest all or a portion of its assets in cash, cash equivalents and short term fixed income.

There can be no assurance that the Fund's investment objectives will be achieved.

Fund Overview

Ticker

ERM

Fund Type

Tactical Equity

Investment Advisor

First Trust Advisors L.P.

Investor Servicing Agent

BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.

Portfolio Manager/Sub-Advisor

EquityCompass Strategies

CUSIP

33740F607

ISIN

US33740F6079

Intraday NAV

ERMIV

Fiscal Year-End

08/31

Exchange

NYSE Arca

Inception

4/10/2017

Inception Price

$20.05

Inception NAV

$20.05

Rebalance Frequency

Periodically

Gross Expense Ratio*

0.66%

Net Expense Ratio*

0.65%

* As of 1/3/2019

First Trust has contractually agreed to reduce management fees earned by the fund for management fees due to be paid to the underlying investment companies advised by First Trust. The agreement is expected to remain in place until at least January 3, 2020, or until its termination at the direction of the Trust's Board of Trustees, or the termination of the Investment Management Agreement. Please see the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section in the fund's prospectus for more details.

Current Fund Data (as of 1/18/2019)

Closing NAV1

$19.93

Closing Share Price2

$19.93

Bid/Ask Midpoint

$19.93

Bid/Ask Discount

0.01%

Total Net Assets

$27,905,256

Outstanding Shares

1,400,002

Daily Volume

5,125

Average 30-Day Daily Volume

3,860

Closing Share Price 52-Week High/Low

$23.74 / $18.96

Closing NAV 52-Week High/Low

$23.71 / $18.90

Number of Holdings

151

Fund Characteristics (as of 12/31/2018)7

Maximum Market Cap.

$779,805

Median Market Cap.

$59,414

Minimum Market Cap.

$2,527

Price/Earnings

16.00

Price/Book

2.06

Price/Cash Flow

9.97

Price/Sales

1.51

Top Holdings (as of 1/17/2019)

Holding

Percent

First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF

88.52%

Mattel, Inc.

0.09%

Nektar Therapeutics

0.09%

Netflix, Inc.

0.09%

Allergan Plc

0.08%

Bank of America Corporation

0.08%

Cimarex Energy Co.

0.08%

Citigroup Inc.

0.08%

Flowserve Corporation

0.08%

Fluor Corporation

0.08%

Holdings are subject to change.

NAV History (Since Inception)

Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Distribution Information

Dividend per Share Amt (as of 1/21/2019)3

$0.1965

30-Day SEC Yield (as of 12/31/2018)4

2.02%

Unsubsidized 30-Day SEC Yield (as of 12/31/2018)5

2.02%

12-Month Distribution Rate (as of 12/31/2018)6

2.12%

Bid/Ask Midpoint vs. NAV (as of 12/31/2018)

Number of Days Bid/Ask Midpoint Above NAV

Quarter Ended

0-49Basis Points

50-99Basis Points

100-199Basis Points

>=200Basis Points

12/31/2018

40

4

0

0

9/30/2018

52

0

0

0

6/30/2018

58

0

0

0

3/31/2018

61

0

0

0

Number of Days Bid/Ask Midpoint Below NAV

Quarter Ended

0-49Basis Points

50-99Basis Points

100-199Basis Points

>=200Basis Points

12/31/2018

17

2

0

0

9/30/2018

11

0

0

0

6/30/2018

6

0

0

0

3/31/2018

0

0

0

0

The price used to calculate market return is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the stock exchange, on which shares of the Fund are listed for trading, as of the time that the Fund's NAV is calculated.

Month End Performance (as of 12/31/2018)

3 Mos

YTD

1 Year

3 Year

5 Year

10 Year

SinceFundInception8

Fund Performance *

Net Asset Value (NAV)

-13.68%

-8.18%

-8.18%

N/A

N/A

N/A

1.52%

After Tax Held

-14.02%

-8.92%

-8.92%

N/A

N/A

N/A

0.84%

After Tax Sold

-8.10%

-4.82%

-4.82%

N/A

N/A

N/A

0.89%

Market Price

-13.68%

-8.34%

-8.34%

N/A

N/A

N/A

1.55%

Index Performance **

Hedge Fund Research HFRI Equity Hedge Index

-8.26%

-6.90%

-6.90%

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

S&P 500 Index

-13.52%

-4.38%

-4.38%

N/A

N/A

N/A

5.68%

Quarter End Performance (as of 12/31/2018)

3 Mos

YTD

1 Year

3 Year

5 Year

10 Year

SinceFundInception8

Fund Performance *

Net Asset Value (NAV)

-13.68%

-8.18%

-8.18%

N/A

N/A

N/A

1.52%

After Tax Held

-14.02%

-8.92%

-8.92%

N/A

N/A

N/A

0.84%

After Tax Sold

-8.10%

-4.82%

-4.82%

N/A

N/A

N/A

0.89%

Market Price

-13.68%

-8.34%

-8.34%

N/A

N/A

N/A

1.55%

Index Performance **

Hedge Fund Research HFRI Equity Hedge Index

-8.26%

-6.90%

-6.90%

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

S&P 500 Index

-13.52%

-4.38%

-4.38%

N/A

N/A

N/A

5.68%

*Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is not a guarantee of future
results and current performance may be higher or lower than performance quoted. Investment returns
and principal value will fluctuate and shares when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than
their original cost.

After Tax Held returns represent return after taxes on distributions. Assumes shares have not been sold.
After Tax Sold returns represent the return after taxes on distributions and the sale of fund shares. Returns
do not represent the returns you would receive if you traded shares at other times. Market Price returns are
based on the midpoint of the bid/ask spread on the stock exchange on which shares of the fund are listed for
trading as of the time that the fund’s NAV is calculated. Returns are average annualized total returns, except
those for periods of less than one year, which are cumulative. The fund's performance reflects fee waivers
and expense reimbursements, absent which performance would have been lower.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and
do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax
situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold
their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

**Indexes do not charge management fees or brokerage expenses, and no such fees or expenses were deducted from the performance shown. Indexes are unmanaged and an investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Hedge Fund Research HFRI Equity Hedge Index returns are published as estimates and updated three times per month, therefore returns shown are subject to change. Returns for the index are not available since the fund’s inception as the index is calculated monthly. Unlike most asset class indexes, the Hedge Fund Research HFRI Equity Hedge Index returns reflect the fees and expenses of the funds it tracks, but the index itself does not assess a fee.

Hedge Fund Research HFRI Equity Hedge Index - The Index tracks the performance of equity hedge strategies that maintain positions both long and short in primarily equity and equity derivative securities.

S&P 500 Index - The Index is an unmanaged index of 500 stocks used to measure large-cap U.S. stock market performance.

Fund shares are purchased and sold on an exchange at their share price rather than net asset value (NAV), which may cause the shares to trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

3

Most recent distribution paid or declared to today's date. Subject to change in the future. There is no guarantee that the fund will declare dividends.

4

The 30-day SEC yield is calculated by dividing the net investment income per share earned during the most recent 30-day period by the maximum offering price per share on the last day of the period and includes the effects of fee waivers and expense reimbursements, if applicable.

5

The unsubsidized 30-day SEC yield is calculated the same as the 30-day SEC yield, however it excludes contractual fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

6

12-Month Distribution Rate is calculated by dividing the sum of the fund's trailing 12-month ordinary distributions paid or declared by the NAV price. Distribution rates may vary.

7

All market capitalization numbers are in USD$ Millions.

8

Inception Date is 4/10/2017

You should consider the fund's investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses carefully before investing. You can download a prospectus or summary prospectus, or contact First Trust Portfolios L.P. at 1-800-621-1675 to request a prospectus or summary prospectus which contains this and other information about the fund. The prospectus or summary prospectus should be read carefully before investing.

ETF Characteristics

The fund lists and principally trades its shares on the NYSE Arca, Inc.

Investors buying or selling fund shares on the secondary market may incur customary brokerage commissions.
Market prices may differ to some degree from the net asset value of the shares. Investors who sell fund shares may receive less than the share's net
asset value. Shares may be sold throughout the day on the exchange through any brokerage account. However, unlike mutual funds, shares may only be
redeemed directly from the fund by authorized participants, in very large creation/redemption units. If the fund's authorized participants are unable
to proceed with creation/redemption orders and no other authorized participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, fund shares may trade at
a discount to the fund's net asset value and possibly face delisting.

Risk Considerations

The fund's shares will change in value and you could lose money by investing in the fund. The fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the fund's investment portfolio, the sub-advisor will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not have the desired result. There can be no assurance that the fund's investment objectives will be achieved.

The fund is subject to market risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security owned by the fund or shares of the fund in general may fall in value.

The fund may invest in small or mid capitalization companies. Such companies may experience greater price volatility than larger, more established companies.

The fund may invest in ETFs that are subject to credit risk, income risk, interest rate risk and call risk. Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a security will be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and/or principal payments when due and that the value of a security may decline as a result. Income risk is the risk that income from an ETF's fixed-income investments could decline during periods of falling interest rates. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the fixed-income securities in an ETF's portfolio will decline because of rising market interest rates. Call risk is the risk that if an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by an ETF, performance could be adversely impacted.

The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in it being more volatile and ETFs have management fees that increase their costs.

As the use of Internet technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the fund has become more susceptible to potential operational risks through breaches in cyber security.

The fund's investment in ETFs is restricted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the fund's associated exemptive relief which limits the amount of any single ETF that can be owned by the fund, individually and in the aggregate with all other registered investment companies and private investment pools advised by First Trust and its affiliates. This limitation may prevent the fund from purchasing shares of an ETF that it may have otherwise purchased pursuant to its investment objectives and principal investment strategy.

The fund may invest in ETFs that are subject to the risk of investing in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, including interest rate risk, extension risk and prepayment risk. Generally, rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of fixed rate mortgage-related securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Extension risk is prevalent when in a period of rising interest rates, an ETF holds mortgage-related securities and such securities exhibit additional volatility. Prepayments can reduce the returns of an ETF because the ETF may have to reinvest that money at the lower prevailing interest rates. An ETF's investments in asset-backed securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with mortgage-related securities, as well as additional risks associated with the nature of the assets and the servicing of those assets.

Certain of the fixed-income securities in an underlying ETF may not have the benefit of covenants which could reduce the ability of the issuer to meet its payment obligations and might result in increased credit risk.

Senior floating-rate loans are usually rated below investment grade but may also be unrated. As a result, the risks associated with these loans are similar to the risks of high-yield fixed-income instruments. Credit risk may be heightened for senior loans because companies that issue loans tend to be highly leveraged and thus are more susceptible to the risks of interest deferral, default and/or bankruptcy.

High-yield securities, or "junk" bonds, are subject to greater market fluctuations and risk of loss than securities with higher ratings, and therefore, may be highly speculative. These securities are issued by companies that may have limited operating history, narrowly focused operations, and/or other impediments to the timely payment of periodic interest and principal at maturity.

The fund may invest in the shares of other investment companies, and therefore, the fund's investment performance and risks may be related to the investment performance and risks of the underlying funds.

An investment in a fund containing securities of non-U.S. issuers is subject to additional risks, including currency fluctuations, political risks, withholding, the lack of adequate financial information, and exchange control restrictions impacting non-U.S. issuers.

The fund may invest in ETFs that invest in sovereign debt. Investments in sovereign bonds involve special risks because the governmental authority that controls the repayment of the debt may be unwilling or unable to repay the principal and/or interest when due. In times of economic uncertainty, the prices of these securities may be more volatile than those of corporate debt obligations or of other government debt obligations.

The fund currently has fewer assets than larger funds, and like other relatively new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the fund's market exposure for limited periods of time.

The fund is classified as "non-diversified" and may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. As a result, the fund may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers, experience increased volatility and be highly concentrated in certain issuers.

First Trust Advisors L.P. is the adviser to the fund. First Trust Advisors L.P. is an affiliate of First Trust Portfolios L.P., the fund's distributor.

Not FDIC Insured • Not Bank Guaranteed • May Lose Value

The information presented is not intended to constitute an investment recommendation for, or advice to, any specific person. By providing this information, First Trust is not undertaking to give advice in any fiduciary capacity within the meaning of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. First Trust has no knowledge of and has not been provided any information regarding any investor. Financial advisors must determine whether particular investments are appropriate for their clients. First Trust believes the financial advisor is a fiduciary, is capable of evaluating investment risks independently and is responsible for exercising independent judgment with respect to its retirement plan clients.

First Trust Portfolios L.P. Member SIPC and FINRA.
First Trust Advisors L.P.